I have been carrying a wallet for as long as I can remember, dating back to kindergarten when my Dad gave me one of his old ones. However, there are still times, especially when I am going out for the evening, when I prefer to scale down and only take the bare essentials: license, debit card, credit card and cash. I have a variety of money clips to serve this purpose, each of which has their own pros and cons. Recently, I received the KeyClip from Left Field Design. Still in the Kickstarter pledge phase, this all-metal clip holds up to five credit cards, several keys and even a USB drive.

This is the first time I’ve reviewed a Kickstarter project product. For those of you not familiar with Kickstarter, it is a website where individuals can seek funding for a variety of projects from other individuals. Project creators set a funding goal and a deadline. If people like the project, they can pledge money to help fund it. If a project meets its funding target, it launches and those that had pledged automatically see their contribution deducted from their bank accounts. If it doesn’t meet its funding goal, the project ends without going into development or charging any of the project backers. The KeyClip project’s funding period began on September 4, 2013, and runs until 8:59 a.m. (Eastern) on October 19, 2013. In order to make a pledge for the KeyClip project, you must first create a Kickstarter account and then make a payment via Amazon Payments. Your credit card is only charged if the project is successfully funded; if funded, the first round of units is estimated to arrive in December 2013.

Out of the Box & Functionality

The KeyClip is actually two separate Left Field Designs products combined—the KeyCase wallet organizer and CardClip money clip. It’s made from satin-finished stainless steel, so it has a crisp and clean look to it. Its dimensions are roughly equivalent to that of a credit card and it is about a half-inch thick. This means it can easily fit in your shirt pocket or your back pants pocket.

The KeyCase portion is actually screwed to the CardClip side. You can remove the screws in order to put keys over the posts and reattach. The model I received to review had three posts, two of which hold two keys each. The third post had a 7.25G Kingston USB thumb drive, which you could remove to carry an additional pair of keys.

The other side of the KeyClip is a typical money clip. There is enough tension to hold a single bill, yet it is flexible enough to hold up to five cards. With the $68 pledge—as opposed to the basic $44 pledge—you also receive an RFID (radio frequency identification) card-blocking shield. This carbon-fiber composite shield includes a layer of copper that blocks radio frequencies, thereby safeguarding your cards against wireless identity theft.

I have used a number of money clips in my day, and the KeyClip is definitely one of the better-made ones I’ve run across. Its added functionality as a key holder is a real bonus for those really looking to cut down on what you’re carrying in your pocket. The RFID blocker is also a nice feature for those concerned about identity theft.

Overall

If I were looking for a money clip, the LFD KeyClip would certainly be on my radar screen. It definitely costs more than the typical money clip, but the KeyClip is anything but ordinary. Its solid construction and ability to carry up to six keys (or up to four keys with the integrated USB drive) makes it perfect for someone wanting to leave their wallet behind. If this is something that does interest you, be sure to make your pledge before October 19, 2013.

Pros

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→ Wayne A. Thorp, CFA is a vice president and senior financial analyst at AAII and editor of Computerized Investing. Follow him on Twitter at @WayneTAAII.

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